If fans were hoping for a match full of entertainment to warm them up at the Lamex, they were left wanting as Stevenage and Mansfield Town cancelled each other out.

The 0-0 draw was not a spectacle from a footballing point of view but it was strangely absorbing as the sides got stuck in to each other but without producing any quality.

The result keeps Boro second in League Two, four points behind Leyton Orient.

Steve Evans opted to keep the same XI that had started the 5-0 win over Barrow last time out.

The only change to the entire match-day squad came on the bench, Terence Vancooten back from injury and in for David Amoo.

The talk before the game was all about the weather and the first half was the perfect accompiament.

It was a scrap and a battle and neither side really got to grips with the hard surface.

Tackles flew in from both teams, which annoyed some but was superbly handled by the referee who let things flow.

Mansfield arguably were the better side, winning more of the loose second balls, but they only crafted two half-chances, both falling to Rhys Oates and both easily dealt with by Taye Ashby-Hammond.

The best chance of the half went to Stevenage and actually went in, Jamie Reid flicking in a cross from Jordan Roberts.

The scorer had gone in to close former Boro loanee Christy Pym down and that had set the sequence of events off, Roberts picking up a loose pass from a defender inside the box but the flag went up against Reid as he ran back and flicked it home.

The only other chance was from Dean Campbell but his effort from the edge of the area was deflected behind.

The half-time break not only provided the opportunity for the players to warm-up but also the managers to pass on their renewed instructions.

Stevenage's talk would have surely been to get out of the wrestling match and start playing their football.

There were no changes at the break though, Boro persevering with their diamond midfield and back four.

The half saw a brighter opening from Boro and they almost scored through Roberts but his first touch when he was in behind the defence was poor and Pym gathered.

Saxon Earley was prominent in a lot of Stevenage's forward play too and he had a shot after dancing across the edge of the area.

That went straight to the keeper though.

The pace of the game was increased from both sides and Mansfield were having their moments in the final third, with only good home defending preventing any chances.

It remained a strangely absorbing game despite the lack of shots although Evans decided he had seen enough of his starting players on 73 minutes and made a triple substitution, bringing on Danny Rose, Arthur Read and Jake Taylor.

It never looked like bringing a winner though and only a Luke Norris effort on the stretch looked remotely threatening.

Mansfield did put the ball in the net but Oates was well offside and the flag up before his admittedly tidy finish.

But the supporters cleared the ground quickly, telling its own story.

 

Stevenage: Ashby-Hammond, James-Wildin, Reeves, Piergianni, Sweeney, Norris, Campbell (Taylor 73), Roberts, Gilbey (Read 73), Reid (Rose 73), Earley.

Subs (not used): Chapman, Clark, Smith, Vancooten.

 

Mansfield Town: Pym, McLaughlin, Hewitt, Harbottle, Akins, Clarke (Wallace 89), Maris, Hawkins, Quinn (Boateng 60), Oates, Lapslie.

Subs (not used): Flinders, Gordon, Hartigan, Perch, Swan.

 

HT: Stevenage 0 Mansfield Town 0

Referee: Anthony Backhouse (Carlisle)

Attendance: 3,301 (with 640 from Mansfield)